Tue, 30 Nov, -0001
Amman: Al Qadisiya set up an all-Kuwaiti clash against Kuwait Sports Club in the AFC Cup final after a late goal by captain Saleh Al Sheikh secured a 1-0 away win over Jordan’s Al Faisaly on Tuesday.
Leading 2-1 from the first leg, the Kuwaiti side weathered a period of intense pressure from the home side during the first half at the Amman International Stadium before Al Sheikh put the tie out of reach with a fine strike in the 77th minute.
Saif Al Hashan cleverly created the opening for his skipper when he received the ball from Ahmad Al Dhefiri and drew defenders to him before back-heeling it to the advancing Al Sheikh, who fired an unstoppable drive past goalkeeper Mohamad Shatnawi to make it 3-1 on aggregate to the visitors.
Beaten on penalties by Syria’s Al Ittihad in the 2010 final, Al Qadsia will now get a second crack at the title next month when they face defending champions Kuwait SC in the final.
Needing a goal to overturn the first-leg deficit, two-time AFC Cup winners Al Faisaly went on the attack from the opening whistle and they nearly made the breakthrough in the opening minute as Ra’ed Al Nawateer’s cross from the right was met in the six-yard box by Khaldoon Al Hamdan whose first-time effort forced a magnificent reflex save from goalkeeper Nawaf Al Khaldi.
The home side dominated the opening exchanges but they were nearly caught out in the 14th minute when Omar Al Suma won possession in the Al Faisaly half and accelerated past defender Mohammad Khamees only to be denied by Shatnawi, who came to the edge of the box to stop the Syrian forward.
A mishit free-kick by Antonio Junior created an opening for Al Hamdan in the 19thminute as he found himself unmarked on the edge of the box but snatched at the opportunity and shot harmlessly wide.
Al Faisaly turned up the heat as the half progressed and Al Khaldi was called into action on a number of occasions and did well to turn aside efforts by Hatem Abu Khadra and Al Nawateer.
As the interval approached, Al Nawateer’s free-kick from the left found Hassouneh Al Sheikh unmarked in the box but he turned the ball wastefully wide.
Having been on the defensive for much of the opening half, Al Qadsia looked a far more dangerous side after the interval as they tried to catch the home side on the counter attack.
Al Suma, who was playing up front in place of the injured Bader Al Mutwa, went close to extending his side’s advantage in the 50th minute with a stinging shot from just inside the box that was well saved by Shatnawi.
And on the hour mark, the Syrian broke menacingly into the Al Faisaly box but shot just over the crossbar with the goal at his mercy.
With Al Faisaly unable to re-establish the dominance that they had enjoyed in the first half, the visitors asserted themselves and Al Sheikh capped a fine move by driving the ball past Shatnawi with 13 minutes left to seal his side’s victory.